


Red Rivers

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: BTHB, Pidge Angst, beatings, blood from mouth, can i get an f, parrilla (torture), pidge centric, poor pidge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:55:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24872662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Pidge's mouth felt dry. She pulled herself up, taking in her surroundings. A bleak grey cell with purple illuminating accents swam into Pidge's vision, small and cramped. The Green Paladin looked down, the white accents of her armor a stark difference from the darker palette of the cell. Her fingers slipped upwards to tap at where she assumed the microphone was in her helmet, but they touched soft curls instead of hard material.No communications. Pidge bit her lip, looking for anything in the cell she could use to her advantage. Her Galran captors hadn't bothered with chains, which meant she couldn't pull panels from the ground or wall in order to gain access to the wiring of the cell.
Relationships: Hunk & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt
Comments: 7
Kudos: 42





	Red Rivers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cimmaninroll](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cimmaninroll/gifts).



"Everyone understands the mission, right?" Keith questioned over his comm line. Pidge hummed in response, shifting her gears forward as she enabled the Green Lion's cloaking. The mission was rather simple, nothing the paladins hadn't ever done before. The only big difference was how the princess was now on the ground team, instead of commanding the castle. 

"Yep," Lance audibly replied behind her, hand resting on the pilot chair just like she had done to him that day they had found the Blue Lion in the desert. "Drop in, bust out some prisoners, wait for Hunk to pick us up,"

There were of course... slight alterations being made due to the loss of Shiro. Without two members of Voltron capable of opening and accessing Galra technology, Keith would have needed to be in two places at once- which was where the typical plan altered. Pidge was to drop Lance just outside the prison, meanwhile Hunk would break an entrance opposite of where the Red Paladin was, letting Keith and Allura into the base.

From there Pidge would dock Green nearby, sneaking into the base where she would meet up with Keith in the control room. He'd help her gain access into the systems, and it was then her job to disable the security cameras. 

Keith would then meet up with Allura and Lance, helping them release prisoners while Hunk directed them to the Yellow Lion. Pidge was to be set up in the control room ensuring the falsified security footage didn't slip up, and then once all the prisoners were safe, she'd retreat to Green and destroy the empty prison.

It would be a tad bit more difficult than their previous prison breaks, especially for Pidge. She took a deep breath, running the plan through her mind one more time. In past missions, Pidge was never truly _alone_ aside from Beta Traz- and she had gotten discovered in that instance. It was her responsibility to stay tuned into her surroundings and still maintain focus on her work.

"Alright, Pidge, get close to ground and let Lance down," Keith instructed. Pidge swallowed back her uncertainties, pressing forward on her Lion's controls. They dipped downwards, Lance's hand disappearing from her seat as he made his way to the trapdoor. He gave a grunt to signify he was in position, and Pidge flicked the switch.

Pidge watched as he dropped to the ground, immediately dashing towards the back entrance and pressing himself against the wall. Lance sent her a thumbs up, and she swerved toward the distant barren terrain of the planet.

"Lance is in position, and Green is landed. Heading to speeder now, Hunk, blast your entrance," she announced, slipping away from the comfort of Green's cockpit and making her way towards the smaller ship that would take her to the base quickly.

Pidge's hands grasped the yoke tightly, a small _boom_ over the comms alerting her that Hunk had made his move. She pulled up near the rising smoke, hopping out of the speeder and dashing into the facility. Pidge quickly pulled up the base's schematics, calculating the quickest route to the control room.

Her mind was moving too fast to properly think, instead she ran down the halls, a chorus of _focus, Katie_ playing through her mind. Pidge reached the door, Keith arriving seconds later.

"Pidge and I are in position. We'll give the all clear when security cameras are disabled," Keith spoke briefly, resting his hand on the electronic pad. It silently hissed open, the faces of three confused Galrans meeting their own. Without a second thought, the two paladins withdrew their bayards, charging forward. "Don't let them trip the alarms!"

"Yup, got it!" Pidge hollered in response, shooting her bayard into the back of one of the Galrans, retracting the blade and watching him tumble to the ground. Keith dashed forward, thrusting his sword towards another Galra, pinning him against the wall. Pidge thrusted her bayard into his side, sending a current of electricity through his body. He slumped to the ground, and she turned on her heel.

"Go loose, Pidge," Keith nodded, and The Green Paladin charged forward, knocking out the final soldier. She let her bayard return to its holster, dragging the unconscious Galrans into the hall. Pidge rushed to the console, Keith placing his hand down. It flashes to life, and the short teen sets to work on creating a loop.

"Done, Hunk, come on in. Opening back entrance, Allura, you in position?" Pidge called, rapidly typing on the screen. She opened the door, awaiting a response.

"I'm here, entering now with Lance," Allura's voice came through the helmets. Pidge nodded, Keith slipping out of the room.

"Keith's on his way," she noted, listening for the grunts of acknowledgement from the rest of the team. Pidge's eyes danced over the screens before her- all displaying the same mundane hallway. She set to work on deleting any previous footage of her and Keith's entrance.

"Just entered prison block, setting to work on freeing everyone," Lance announced. Pidge hummed, finishing patching up the feeds.

All she had to do was wait.The program was running steadily; as it always did. Nothing desperately calling for her attention. It sounded like the others had everything under control, there was not much for Pidge to actively focus on.

What felt like minutes ran by, and all the Green Paladin could hear was the instructions and promises of safety, slightly muffled as they weren't being directed towards her. 

"We're heading to Yellow. Pidge, begin to wrap up and make your way to Green, we will meet you at the Castle," Allura panted out. The short girl grunted, turning to make her way out of the room. Pidge checked the hall- the only sign of the base's inhabitants being the unconscious trio splayed out on the ground. 

Pidge turned off her microphone, sprinting down the hall. She heard the Yellow Lion's roar as they took off, and pressed herself to move faster.

"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise?" someone growled from the distant end of the corridor Pidge had entered. He was tall, and bore the symbol on his armor that marked him as a Commander. The Green Paladin got into a fighting stance, materializing her bayard in her grasp and dashing forward. 

The Commander took a widened stance, arms prepared to swing at Pidge. At the last second, she ducked beneath him, sending a jolt of electricity behind his knees. The Galran dropped to the ground, seething with anger. His arm swung wildly, catching Pidge off balance. She stumbled forwards, a hit at the nape of her neck sending her into darkness.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Pidge's mouth felt dry. She pulled herself up, taking in her surroundings. A bleak grey cell with purple illuminating accents swam into Pidge's vision, small and cramped. The Green Paladin looked down, the white accents of her armor a stark difference from the darker palette of the cell. Her fingers slipped upwards to tap at where she assumed the microphone was in her helmet, but they touched soft curls instead of hard material.

No communications. Pidge bit her lip, looking for anything in the cell she could use to her advantage. Her Galran captors hadn't bothered with chains, which meant she couldn't pull panels from the ground or wall in order to gain access to the wiring of the cell. 

Pidge's eyes sparkled as an idea presented itself in her brain, the lack of objects to pull may not make a difference if she still had her bayard! Her hand flanked to the outside of her thigh, a subtle roar in the back of her mind as the familiar weight manifested in her grip.

"You'll regret _ever_ messing with the Green Paladin of Voltron," Pidge smirked to herself, letting the electric hum of her angular katar take over. In a swift moment, the green blade sliced through the cell door. And with a kick, the metal was sent skittering down the cell block's ground. The prison remained silent, not a guard in sight as Pidge stalked forwards.

The absence of the Galra definitely made her weary- on the mission there weren't too many, but there were still enough to fight. Pidge had yet to encounter anybody- not that she was complaining. The less fighting she had to do at the moment sounded heavenly. Footsteps echoed in the distance, and she pressed herself against the wall.

"I know you're there Paladin," the Commander's voice hissed in distaste. Pidge cursed under her breath, remaining steeled against the wall. "There is no use hiding, no need for escape. All you need to do is answer my questions, and you'll be free to go,"

"Like _hell_ I'll give you any useful information," Pidge growled, sprinting forwards with her sparking bayard. The Galran stepped to the side, latching onto her wrist and effectively swinging the Green Paladin into the wall.

Pidge groaned, pulling herself to her feet and stepping back. He was more prepared for her than she had anticipated, and the Green Paladin most likely wouldn't be able to fight through him on her own. When enough distance was put between the two, Pidge turned on her heel and made a break for it.

The alarms began to blare at an obnoxious volume, and it was at that moment that Pidge realized she didn't know where in the ship she currently was. Cursing her lack of mapping capabilities, she darted down a corner only to run into a blockade of sentries. Their heads immediately swiveled towards her, and with a strangled gasp she began to run in the opposite direction.

Gunfire was shooting wildly behind her, Pidge narrowly dodging countless shots. She dashed to the side, continuing to sprint down another corridor until she was met with a dead end. Swearing under her breath, the Green Paladin turned to leave the way she came, only to be stopped by a wall of sentries, the base's Commander marching towards her with a smirk on his face.

"You will give me what I want," he smirked, roughly grabbing Pidge by the shoulders. She squirmed in his grip, attempting to push her bayard into his exposed flesh. The Commander grunted, wrenching the weapon from her grip. 

Pidge hissed, kicking against the Galran to no avail. He ordered for two sentries to restrain her, gesturing for them to follow him.

"My name is Commander Vorcrox. You and your team alleviated my base of its prisoners, and that on its own is a crime against Emperor Zarkon. But, as a Paladin of Voltron, you hold much more value to me than a mere rebel. If you give what I ask, then I'm certain we will have a much more... pleasant time," the Galran rumbled.

"I already told you, I'm not giving you _anything_ that would harm Voltron," Pidge tossed her weight into one of the sentries holding her, the grip only tightening in response. She growled, slumping as they turned into a small room. The sentries dropped her to the ground, leaving her only with Vorcrox.

"I'll start simple," Vorcrox hummed, pulling a baton out from his belt. The Commander circled Pidge as if she were his prey- in fact, she probably was. Pidge inhaled deeply, maintaining a stark expression. He kneeled, lifting her chin. The Green Paladin wrinkled her nose in distaste, all while her heart sped up. "Where is the Castle of Lions?"

"Last night I had the strangest dream," Pidge flashed a grin, yelping as the baton was slammed into her shoulder. Vorcrox's eyes slanted in anger, dragging his sharp nail away from her skin.

"I do not _care_ for this dream, Paladin. Tell me the Red Paladin's weaknesses," the Commander growled. Pidge bit her lip, remaining silent. "Answer me," Vorcrox barked.

"I sailed away to China," the pale girl continued. Vorcrox's expression changed, displaying one of confusion. The Commander was seething in anger, the baton in hand crashing down on her other shoulder.

"I'll give you one last chance to answer one of my previous questions before I apply more persuasive measurements," the Galran Commander spat. Pidge thought over her options- continue to recite a meme and risk being severely harmed, give him the information he wanted, or lie and pay the price when he found out her fib.

The others would have noticed that she didn't make it back to the castle yet, which gave her about a varga until rescue. Pidge smirked.

"In a little row boat to find you," she continued, biting her tongue when the rod was smashed into Pidge's chest. Her breath hitched as she heard a crack, biting back an alarmed cry of pain. The Commander pushed the object back into his belt, yanking at Pidge's hand and practically dragging her from the room.

The trip was short, but Pidge definitely wished he would have stuck with the baton. The new room had nothing but a metal frame centered in the room. It resembled a bed, except it consisted of metal wires running the length of the frame. Each corner had a restraint, the center of it all containing a buckle, clearly designed to keep the victim strapped down.

A multitude of wires ran from the frame to a machine of sorts. Given the conductivity of metal, and how the contraption was connected to a device, Pidge thought it was safe to assume this would be linked with electricity.

Vorcrox pushed her forwards, the Green Paladin letting out a short shriek as she felt something sharp in her chest. The Galran Commander then pushed her onto the frame, ignoring her wild and livid limbs as he fastened the cuffs around them.

Pidge twisted viciously, only stopping when something warm trickled up her throat. She began to cough, only to suddenly lose all air as Vorcrox turned on the machine. The Green Paladin was caught in a voiceless scream, the warmth in her throat gurgling as she struggled to breathe.

It _burned_. It felt like she had been placed onto a grill, each wire beneath her back etching itself into her skin in black. Pidge itched for air, but could only draw in the liquid pooling in the back of her mouth. _She was drowning in her own blood_.

The electricity cut off, and Pidge turned her head, coughing up as much blood as she could. The crimson warmth trickled down her chin, the Commander chuckling to himself as he approached.

"Do you have an answer for me, Paladin?" he mused at her crumpled state, sweat beading at her brow, streaks of deep red blood staining her lips, eyes wild and slightly hazed. The Green Paladin continued to draw in the air she couldn't access moments ago, ignoring the question.

"I have an answer! Get you _quiznaking_ hands off of her!" a voice hollered, followed by a gunshot. Lance and Hunk dashed into the room. The Red Paladin hovered over the Galran Commander's body, surveying his body for any signs of life. Satisfied by the lack of movement, he joined Hunk at Pidge's side.

"Pidge? You okay?" Hunk piqued, hand setting to work on removing the restraints from her wrists. Lance began working on her ankles.

"Just peachy," she mumbled, allowing herself to be lifted gently by the Yellow Paladin. Pidge coughed, rivulets of red continuing to dribble from her mouth. 

"You need a healing pod," Lance observed, gesturing for Hunk to follow him. They slipped out of the room, beginning to make their way to their exit.

"Really? I had no idea," Pidge's eyes narrowed before clenching shut.

"Sorry! Sorry," Hunk frantically whispered.

"Relax, Hunk. I'll be fine," Pidge weakly smiled, eyes sliding shut. "Just try not to drop me," she joked.

"Yep, there she is," Lance rolled his eyes.

"You know it,"

**Author's Note:**

> Do you love hurting Pidge? Me too! You can drop a request right here: https://romwaeta.tumblr.com/
> 
> Please drop some kudos and a comment! Don't run away please haha


End file.
